The Sindh Education Department has completed Pakistan’s largest-ever recruitment process, hiring over 93,000 Primary School Teachers (PST) and Junior Elementary School Teachers (JEST).
Sindh’s Education Minister, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, congratulated the successful candidates, expressing hope that the teachers joining the department will perform their duties with dedication and honesty. He stated that the next phase after recruitment would be professional training for teachers to further improve the quality of education. In his statement, the Provincial Minister highlighted that under the guidance of PPP leadership, the serious efforts of the Sindh government, and the hard work of the education department’s officers, merit and transparency were ensured during the recruitment process. “With the trust of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, we have now achieved the goal of providing capable and qualified teachers in Sindh’s schools,” he added.
He informed that during Pakistan’s largest-ever teacher recruitment process, offer letters were issued to 93,118 teachers, with 65,147 Primary School Teachers and 27,701 Junior Elementary School Teachers recruited purely on merit through third-party testing. The recruitment of 31,075 women teachers strengthened the Sindh government’s initiatives for women’s empowerment, while 1,330 differently abled persons and 2,100 minority candidates were also appointed as teachers. Syed Sardar Ali Shah said that these newly appointed teachers have become part of Sindh’s 41,129 schools, and the recruitment has activated over 5,000 previously non-functional schools. Now, no viable school in Sindh will remain closed due to the non-availability of teachers. He emphasized that these recruitments will have long-lasting positive effects, which will soon reflect in the improvement of the education system.
The Minister expressed hope that the teachers joining the Sindh School Education Department will understand the responsibilities of this noble profession and will perform their duties with honesty. He added that this is not only a personal success for these teachers but also a guarantee for the future of thousands of children in Sindh. Teachers should instill confidence and a love for learning in children while guiding them in character-building, as it is only through hard work, punctuality, and focused attention in classrooms that the environment in schools can change and the students’ futures can improve. The Minister welcomed the increase in the department’s human resources, explaining that in March 2021, job advertisements were issued under a third-party process through IBA Sukkur, ensuring merit and transparency, with tests conducted in September 2021.
Providing further division-wise details, the Minister shared: Karachi Division: 7,444 PST, 5,643 JEST, Hyderabad Division: 17,075 PST, 6,904 JEST, Sukkur Division: 11,619 PST, 4,183 JEST, Larkana Division: 11,145 PST, 4,034 JEST, Mirpurkhas Division: 7,513 PST, 2,916 JEST, Shaheed Benazirabad Division: 10,261 PST, 4,020 JEST recruited. After these recruitments, the student-teacher ratio in Sindh has improved to 34.59, which will be further enhanced in the next recruitment phase. Syed Sardar Ali Shah noted that the induction of capable teachers has improved school performance and increased student enrollment. He expressed happiness that among the newly recruited teachers are PhD holders, engineers, and other highly educated and experienced individuals. Due to transparent and merit-based processes, youth from underprivileged backgrounds have secured respectable employment, with four daughters from a single family successfully passing the test and setting an example.
The Minister mentioned that the rehabilitation of schools affected by rains and floods in Sindh is ongoing. He acknowledged that some teachers are facing challenges regarding facilities in certain areas, which the department is striving to resolve, and he appreciated the teachers who are fulfilling their responsibilities despite difficulties. Syed Sardar Ali Shah assured that the Sindh government stands with its teachers and is prioritizing the provision of better training and facilities so that teachers can perform their duties with peace and confidence, thereby bringing positive change in the field of education.